R13 Million Cocaine Seized at Durban Harbour: 32 Blocks Hidden in Bus Air-Conditioning Units from South American Shipment – No Arrests Made
R13 million cocaine seized at Durban Harbour: 32 blocks hidden in bus AC units from South America shipment. No arrests made. Facts on the 5 May 2026 SAPS operation and ongoing manhunt in a high-traffic drug entry point.
On 5 May 2026, KwaZulu-Natal police recovered 32 blocks of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of R13 million at the Port of Durban. The drugs were concealed inside the air-conditioning compartments of buses shipped from a South American country and destined for Gauteng province.
The operation was intelligence-driven, following a prior drug recovery in Gauteng in April 2026 that indicated the consignment entered South Africa via Durban Harbour. Officers from Durban Operational Response Services (ORS) and the Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) unit profiled vessels and located the packages.
No arrests have been made. Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects behind the shipment and the intended recipients. Investigations remain ongoing, according to KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
This seizure highlights ongoing challenges with drug trafficking through South Africa’s major ports. Durban Harbour continues to serve as a key entry point for cocaine from South America, with sophisticated concealment methods used in legitimate-looking cargo such as vehicle imports.
For minority communities facing the downstream effects of drug-related crime, violence, and social breakdown, these incidents underscore the scale of the problem and the limited visible disruption to the supply chains.
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